1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to structural support systems, and in particular, to an expansible adaptable structural system which is easily assembled and disassembled and which employs interlocking modular elements to form a desired structure with no need for fasteners or other supports and no need for tools in erecting the structure.
2. Background Art
Most prior art structural systems require fasteners of some kind to maintain the integrity of the structure and additionally require tools to apply the fasteners to the system and assemble the system. The fasteners are often the greatest cause for failure of the structures because they loosen over time and the connections essential to the structural integrity are broken.
Interlocking structural systems are usually custom designed for a particular function with each component especially shaped to fit a particular part of a particular structure for a particular use. No flexibility is provided because of the need for precision fitting all of the parts to maintain structural integrity.
Modular structural systems usually rely on fasteners to fit roughly mass produced components together to form the structure. Very often these components must be fabricated of a particular type of material because of the use for which the modular structure is intended.
In most shelving structural systems the vertical supports serve as a barrier and do not permit the extension of each shelf plane beyond the vertical upright in a continuous plane.
Generally only two points of support are provided at each end of each shelf in structural systems for shelving.
There is generally no rigid torque resistant elements in modular structural systems to prevent the structure from warping out of alignment.
In shelving structures with no interconnecting back element there is a tendency for the vertical support elements to slide apart.